Casa 13: Closed, Open, Moving, Staying
By Christopher St Cavish, Jun 17th, 2010 | In Nightlife
Casa 13 closed last week. There were licensing issues -- mainly the issue that the place never had one. The authorities were never keen on having such a quaint house operate as a restaurant, and they'd become less keen as Expo pressures began forcing a lot of gov't housecleaning. Fair enough.
So, Casa 13 is closed and it's moving -- though it'll stay and re-open.
It'll work like this: Balthazar, another Vargas thing in Taikang Lu, will get a new dress -- signage and menu, but not decor -- and become Casa 13. Casa 13, the house down the lane at 1100 Huashan Lu, will re-open, but only for catering, weddings, and private events; not to the general public. It may or may not be called Casa 13. Chef Eric Brown has been cut loose from the operation.
Will it all work? It's a gamble. Much of Casa 13's success seemed predicated on its location and its garden, neither of which the Balthazar space offers. Meanwhile, they sink the Balthazar ship, and risk alienating the small but loyal following that the casual bistro cultivated. Time will tell. The change won't happen for a couple of weeks yet.
So, Casa 13 is closed and it's moving -- though it'll stay and re-open.
It'll work like this: Balthazar, another Vargas thing in Taikang Lu, will get a new dress -- signage and menu, but not decor -- and become Casa 13. Casa 13, the house down the lane at 1100 Huashan Lu, will re-open, but only for catering, weddings, and private events; not to the general public. It may or may not be called Casa 13. Chef Eric Brown has been cut loose from the operation.
Will it all work? It's a gamble. Much of Casa 13's success seemed predicated on its location and its garden, neither of which the Balthazar space offers. Meanwhile, they sink the Balthazar ship, and risk alienating the small but loyal following that the casual bistro cultivated. Time will tell. The change won't happen for a couple of weeks yet.
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